SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody joined San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones in denouncing previous antisemitic comments made by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, ahead of a planned concert on July 4 at the Alamodome.
More than 60,000 people are expected to be in attendance, and Ye said the concert will be one of the most well-attended in the venue’s history. Roughly 50,000 tickets have already been sold, according to the City of San Antonio.
Sakai and Moody released statements Monday after Jones called for the concert to be canceled in a social media post Saturday.
“I do not condone the hateful speech and antisemitic messages by rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye,” Sakai said. “These hateful words and actions have no place here and we must call it out.”
Ye has been criticized over the last several years for antisemitic actions, including saying “I’m going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” in a 2022 social media post and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler.”
In January, Ye took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to apologize for his previous behavior, attributing it to a brain injury and bipolar disorder. In the letter, he said he is not a Nazi nor an antisemite.
It was not his first apology, however. Ye previously apologized for his actions in 2023 but later took it back in 2025.
Ye’s letter in The Wall Street Journal was published two months prior to the release of his 12th studio album, “Bully.”
Since the album’s release, Ye performed two sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles and in front of nearly 40,000 fans in the Netherlands.
However, other concerts in France, Italy and the United Kingdom were canceled after European leaders took action or considered taking action against the rapper.
Regarding the issue of free speech, Moody said that the First Amendment works both ways.
“Kanye West has the right to free speech, but I have an obligation to denounce his outrageous, hate-filled rants,” Moody said. “We should never provide a public platform to, or allow the use of public property by, a Holocaust denier and well-known antisemite like Kanye West.”
Ye’s San Antonio performance will follow two scheduled shows next week at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., asked the Tampa Sports Authority to reconsider holding the concert, arguing that taxpayer funds would be used to give Ye a platform.
Jones echoed those statements with Texas Public Radio on Monday, when asked whether the city may have to take additional security measures at the cost of taxpayers.
“I think there’s a long list of considerations that, quite frankly, this unfortunate incident has identified in terms of understanding what is right to host at a city-funded facility,” Jones said.
Live Nation said it neither booked nor promoted Ye’s July 4 performance. However, the performance is listed on Live Nation’s website, and tickets are being sold through its ticketing platform Ticketmaster, which is the venue’s ticketing partner.
Therefore, it appears the decision of whether to cancel the concert ultimately lies with the city, which owns and operates the Alamodome.
As for whether Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has the power to do so, she told Texas Public Radio that it requires more than just her vote alone.
“If we wanted to cancel this,” Jones said, “the council would have to take a public action, asking the city manager to do just that, so a public vote.”
Jones, Moody and State Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, will be at a news conference Tuesday with the Jewish Federation of San Antonio to call on city leaders and Alamodome officials to cancel Ye’s concert.
KSAT reached out to the City of San Antonio, which said Alamodome staff reviews all events “using the same factors, including public demand, expected economic impact, facility revenue, hotel bookings and the goal of bringing a wide range of events to San Antonio.”
Read the full statements below:
“I do not condone the hateful speech and antisemitic messages by rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye. I am all too familiar with racism and the devasting and long-term impacts that can have. These bigoted words and messages are not reflective of and have no place in our community. As Bexar County Judge, I have a duty to our residents to provide for an inclusive and safe community. These hateful words and actions have no place here and we must call it out.
“Bexar County stands firmly against these hateful and despicable messages.”
Peter Sakai, Bexar County Judge
“I will always defend the right to free speech, but I will also never remain silent in the face of vile hatred and lies.
“Kanye West has the right to free speech, but I have an obligation to denounce his outrageous, hate-filled rants. When someone repeatedly spreads antisemitic hate, praises Nazis, denies the Holocaust, and tries to intimidate our Jewish community, we have a responsibility to call it out directly and forcefully—and I am.
“I do not support Kanye West’s planned performance here in San Antonio. We should never provide a public platform to, or allow the use of public property by, a Holocaust denier and well-known antisemite like Kanye West.
“Our Jewish community deserves to know that we stand with them today and every day. Hate and intolerance have no place in Bexar County, and I remain committed to supporting our Jewish neighbors and friends and condemning antisemitism in all its forms.”
Grant Moody, Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner
“The Alamodome staff reviews all events — whether Paul McCartney, Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, or Ye — using the same factors, including public demand, expected economic impact, facility revenue, hotel bookings and the goal of bringing a wide range of events to San Antonio.
“The July 4 Ye concert is expected to draw more than 60,000 people.
“As of Monday, June 22, about 50,000 tickets had been sold. That includes 14,180 from Bexar County, and many more from outside Bexar County — 23,345 from other Texas counties, 15,485 from outside Texas and 195 international sales."
City of San Antonio spokesperson
Read also: